Thread: Covid Check-in
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Old 10-24-2021, 09:49 PM
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rach3975 rach3975 is offline
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Northern Virginia
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I'm so sorry you're all still out of school, Kelly! I can't even imagine how much learning loss there has been by now, especially for the most vulnerable students.

Here masks are recommended in stores and public venues, but thankfully I live in a county where most people are voluntarily wearing them. They're required in medical facilities and schools. Colleges in the area require masks and vaccination.

As of August schools are open full time for everyone with very little remote education. (Students had to submit medical documentation to prove a need and then get it approved--more than 95% of students are back in person.) Masks are required, there is contact tracing when someone tests positive, and we have required quarantines for unvaccinated students and staff. Vaccines or weekly testing are required for staff and for older students to participate in extracurriculars such as sports (where masks aren't required). Our vaccination rates are high, so in the middle and high schools there aren't really any more attempts to distance. In the elementary schools there were some measures put in place by schools for lunch, but from what I've heard not all schools are following them as well as parents would want.

I teach in a preschool that requires masks indoors and outside, and we wash or sanitize hands every half hour. We're still trying for 3 feet of distancing while masked (indoors) and 6 feet while unmasked. We eat outside unless the weather interferes. I also sub in preschool special ed classes in the public schools, and the restrictions aren't nearly as strict.

Everyone in my household is fully vaccinated, but since I work with preschoolers and we don't want our kids to be out of school quarantining for weeks we're still being cautious. Restaurants and movie theaters are open with no restrictions, but we don't go there. Big venues often require testing or vaccination, but I haven't paid much attention to the specifics because we're not ready to be in crowds like that. We'll definitely stay cautious until my students are eligible for vaccination. (Some of my special ed students are at high risk and don't wear masks well.) After that it will depend on cases--during surges we'll stop going out in crowds and to restaurants where we can't be masked, and when there aren't surges we'll start resuming some of the activities we've given up.
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